Canadian Pairs 2018/2019 Season News and Updates

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Mad for Skating

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I agree that Luba needs to do something more fresh and polished with her hair. Maybe she should get hair extensions for more fullness, and then get an assymetrical cut similar to Wenjing Sui's (albeit that Sui really needs a touch-up trim as her hair was too long and flopping all over her face at Worlds. And it was not flopping in the cool, hip way it did when she first had the cut styled. Sui can get away with anything, but unless she's growing her hair out for some reason, she needs a trim).

Actually, I think Luba’s hair looks great, but I’m not opposed to the pixie cut idea. Her current look just gives a cute vintage vibe to me.

Sui’s hair is fabulous, but I’ll admit it was a little wild at worlds. I know she had cut it very short around March, and it’s been growing back ever since. I had a pixie cut and when I tried to grow it back into a bob, mine was unruly too because the layers grew out funny. I think she might just be in that awkward transition phase between pixie and bob. Either way, she’s a queen.
 

aftershocks

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I think Sui might just be in that awkward transition phase between pixie and bob. Either way, she’s a queen.

Exactly! :glamor:

Luba's hair OTOH sometimes looks good, and other times, no. It has a tendency to be thin, so she needs to either get a cool, professional cut and/or use some good hairstyling products that might give her hair a bit more volume.

Her current style and cut looks okay on her Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvcs9Y-nakK/
So maybe she has it figured out. It wouldn't hurt her to do some highlighting perhaps, but only have it done by a very good, professional hair colorist, using organic-based ingredients. Again, I doubt thinking about her hairstyle is the first order of business for their partnership. :lol:

They have a lot on their plate with training and focusing on new programs, music and layout of elements, etc. Packaging also matters, but they do have some time for thinking more about that down the road. Ace music selection, choreo and elements, and think about who they are as a team, and obviously become accustomed to skating with each other, and understanding each other's rhythms, personalities, etc.
 

Alvyne

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Charlie needs to ditch the man-bun, pronto.

Also, the way he has been milking the media to try to get attention since the breakup with Julianne makes me roll my eyes. :rolleyes: Why do we need fancy videos, a media marketing day, multiple newspaper and radio interviews, etc. when nothing has happened yet? (And even before he had found a new partner, he was clearly trying to keep his name in the "spotlight", so to speak, which was even more eye-roll-worthy because there was literally no news at that point, or at least nothing he was willing to share with the press.) It would make a lot more sense to just buckle down and train, and let the skating get the attention when there's actually something to show.
Well if the media is interested in his story, why not milk it. It is so rare that figure skaters (and figure skating) get the spotlight in Québec, I don't see the problem with taking advantage of this interest, especially if it can help with sponsors and money for training.
 

CassAgain

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I like the longer hair on Charlie, but I've never been bothered by a man bun. Lubov always looks fantastic. I am SO looking forward to see them skate together, and I am glad that Canadian media is making a bit of thing of their roll out. Allez Lubov et Charlie!
 
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clairecloutier

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No. Just No.

Anyway, they kind of did that already with 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', and I don't think they really did the music justice, not at all. Plus I love that song and think no one but Roberta Flack can really express it well.

The Celine Dion version of the song is really beautiful, IMO anyhow. It’s more emotionally intense than the Leona Lewis version that MT/M used. The Lewis arrangement makes it sound more like a standard pop ballad. I think MT/M’s SP was good, but could have had more impact with a better version of the song.
 
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miffy

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I’m going to get so lost by ‘I/B’. To me that is Inoue and Baldwin. Yes I am well and truly stuck in the 2004 era :lol:
Very excited to see what ‘the new I/B’ can do. I have never been particularly interested in him, but I hope he skates well and shows her off amazingly :D I think it will also be very good for MT/M (who I like, again especially her!) to have some real competition in the next few years.
 

honey

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Some quick highlights (maybe someone else can fully transcribe?)

Videos of them doing a star lift and some death spirals on the ice. Also throw doubles.

The training videos seem to only be as far as their 3rd training day (March 3rd), so not surprising nothing too difficult yet.

They are trying to do that Duschaney double canteliver and I have to say Charlie looks awkward AF. :shuffle: I will give it more than three days though :p

Charlie looked for partner from Quebec, but there wasn’t any. He then looked rest of Canada. They seems to communicate in a mix of English and French. Her French is pretty good! I’m very impressed with her language abilities!

He wants more than top 10 at the Olympics/ worlds. He said after 2018, he had somethings he wanted to improve with Julianne. Things didn’t seem to be happening by July and he concluded he couldnt get where he wanted to go with Julianne so he ended things.

They are emphasizing Luba’s Flexibility. Richard seems excited to play with that aspect on the ice. Charlie knows he has to improve his lines to match her.

Richard thinks her jump issues are mostly psychological (I respectfully disagree, but hey I don’t see her every day, so).

Manon Perron also interviewed and she says she sees potential.

That’s pretty much all I got for now.
 
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Alvyne

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Please someone summarize for us non-Canadians.
I'm not good at summarizing, but they look very good together. They have good chemistry, and it looks like they gelled pretty quickly. Richard seemed very happy to be coaching them (he said that he worked with Cirque in the past and he had ideas for lift positions that no skater were able to realize, but Lubov exceeds his expectations). They do a cool pairs double cantilever. Charlie said he is going to have to work on his flexibility. Richard mentioned that Lubov can do the jumps, in the past it was psychological.

It was Charlie who reached out to her. She kept the message he wrote, at first he just congratulated her on the Cirque gig, and she said she was ready to answer yes to the unspoken question (do you want to do a try out). She moved to Montreal with her boyfriend last month, Charlie was there to welcome them.

There was nothing about music selection or choreography (they will probably answer that on Monday).
 

quartz

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I just watched the video as well, but I don’t speak French, so it was all about the visual!
They do look very nice together, their body types match well. I am slowly coming around to being okay with this partnership, even tho I still feel bad that Julianne’s competitive journey seems to have ended.
Points awarded to Charlie also include: his black fluffy kitty that looks just like my black fluffy kitty, and he listens to vinyl. :D
 

Erin

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Richard thinks her jump issues are mostly psychological (I respectfully disagree, but hey I don’t see her every day, so).

I definitely think she has some technique issues that contribute to her problems but I’ve seen her land a lot of jumps in practice and warm-up so I do think that a lot of the issue is psychological. Technique that isn’t super solid but works in practice abandons her when the pressure is on. So I think it’s important to work on the psychological but I hope they also find a more solid technique.
 

RoseRed

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I definitely think she has some technique issues that contribute to her problems but I’ve seen her land a lot of jumps in practice and warm-up so I do think that a lot of the issue is psychological. Technique that isn’t super solid but works in practice abandons her when the pressure is on. So I think it’s important to work on the psychological but I hope they also find a more solid technique.
I believe Bruno said they brought in a new jump coach this season. Michael's jumps seemed to have improved this season (World's issues aside), so hopefully that will help.
 

miffy

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They are emphasizing Luba’s Flexibility. Richard seems excited to play with that aspect on the ice. Charlie knows he has to improve his lines to match her.

Richard thinks her jump issues are mostly psychological (I respectfully disagree, but hey I don’t see her every day, so).
Thank you for your whole review of the video :40beers: I am happy to read the 2 points quoted - that addresses my biggest hopes! :cheer2:
 

honey

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I definitely think she has some technique issues that contribute to her problems but I’ve seen her land a lot of jumps in practice and warm-up so I do think that a lot of the issue is psychological. Technique that isn’t super solid but works in practice abandons her when the pressure is on. So I think it’s important to work on the psychological but I hope they also find a more solid technique.

Just my opinion on this, but perhaps if the technique were more solid, she’d have some more wiggle room in competition. Her technique is such that if anything is too quick on the takeoff (which is likely to happen when you’re nervous), the jump just fizzles and doesn’t get off the ground. She already rushes the pick and the follow through on the toe even when she’s successful at it. Adding any extra to that just nixes her chances at completing the jump. And IMO, this is what usually happens to her in competition. She’s a bit like Chartrand and the triple toe in that respect. Technique is poor and unless every single thing goes right, the jump can’t happen, or is underotated because they didn’t get any height.

If they fundamentally changed her take off technique, she could maybe still have a chance at the jump even if she tenses up a bit and rushes in competition. But I don’t see that happening this late in her career. The time for that for 5 years ago. But beyond that, I wish them luck. Canada needs more pairs and I hope they are successful.
 

barbarafan

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I’d say it makes complete sense for him to want to build anticipation/interest in his future plans, since he evidently has big ambitions.

Regarding the discussion about both of their styling, I think first they have to figure out what sort of image they’re going for as a team and tailor such choices to that.
Kinda agree with you about keeping himself relevant. KMT has always made sure she is in the camera lens and seems to have CBC locked up solid so why use Quebec media to promote his team. As long as no falsehoods are spoken and no disses about other teams or insider false garbage given to TSL, I am all in. Integrity is the issue for me and I am confident of Lubov and willing to give Charlie a chance on that issue unless I see evidence of wrongdoing.

As far as style I have seen Lubov in many roles and she is really good at anything I saw.(both with Dylan and Russian partner). I just hope they choose wisely re: choreographers and that their music has lots of good moments. Biting nails til we find out. One thing I am happy about is they will prob.do summer skate here in the summer and that is held a few minutes drive from my house and it is livestreamed on Daily Motion.
 

barbarafan

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I think Luba’s hair is thin due to her previous anorexia
That would be my guess although a childhood photo had it naturally thin as well but I think she has put the past away and started on a fresh new journey in Canada. She values her privacy so I don't think we will see her doing interviews discussing her past ever....maybe a tell all book when she is old so it would not effect skating politics.
 

Mad for Skating

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Again, I doubt thinking about her hairstyle is the first order of business for their partnership. :lol:

Agree! Although ladies in pair skating do have the most gorgeous hair ever.

I like the longer hair on Charlie, but I've never been bothered by a man bun. Lubov always looks fantastic. I am SO looking forward to see them skate together, and I am glad that Canadian media is making a bit of thing of their roll out. Allez Lubov et Charlie!

lol I thought man buns were eradicated last season! Charlie, you missed the notification!
I’m so excited to see where this goes.
 

barbarafan

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I'm not good at summarizing, but they look very good together. They have good chemistry, and it looks like they gelled pretty quickly. Richard seemed very happy to be coaching them (he said that he worked with Cirque in the past and he had ideas for lift positions that no skater were able to realize, but Lubov exceeds his expectations). They do a cool pairs double cantilever. Charlie said he is going to have to work on his flexibility. Richard mentioned that Lubov can do the jumps, in the past it was psychological.

It was Charlie who reached out to her. She kept the message he wrote, at first he just congratulated her on the Cirque gig, and she said she was ready to answer yes to the unspoken question (do you want to do a try out). She moved to Montreal with her boyfriend last month, Charlie was there to welcome them.

There was nothing about music selection or choreography (they will probably answer that on Monday).
Thank-you...In addition I believe Charlie said she arrived in Mtl by car with her boyfriend but did not specify he moved as well . I think he is still in Toronto but visits often but things could have changed. As for the break-up he specified that after the 9th place at the Olympics S/B felt they now could work towards a 5th place or maybe a podium but as they started the season it was not going well and he stopped believing it would happen. I am pleased that Richard is so excited with their potential and does not seem to be filing them as 2nd string. That was one of my fears. I also believed it is a head problem as far as the jumps are concerned. In 2017 I was thinking that if they did a transition right before the jumps it would divide Lubov's attention so she wouldn't freeze on the jump and they did enter their jumps that year with hands behind their back and were more successful that yr. with jumps. Richard has been giving his teams more transitions this year which he has to to stay with the competition and I am sure he could put a new entry into the jumps to help the situation along with the new jump coach might solve the problem...As well Lubov's performing for 8 months wit the Cirque could make her more comfortable with performing. My concern is the twist. I hope Richard does not regress both their twists into the usual Cdn one which is not competitive. Lubov has a beautiful Russian twist and Charlie and Julieann had visited Lyndon Jphnson and havd a good twist so between them they should be able to do a great twist and right now internationally they will not go far without one. I will really miss Julianne's skating but do not believe she is finished yet. I hope she takes time to completely heal and then take stock of what she wants before making decisions.
 

barbarafan

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Thank-you...In addition I believe Charlie said she arrived in Mtl by car with her boyfriend but did not specify he moved as well . I think he is still in Toronto but visits often but things could have changed. As for the break-up he specified that after the 9th place at the Olympics S/B felt they now could work towards a 5th place or maybe a podium but as they started the season it was not going well and he stopped believing it would happen. I am pleased that Richard is so excited with their potential and does not seem to be filing them as 2nd string. That was one of my fears. I also believed it is a head problem as far as the jumps are concerned. In 2017 I was thinking that if they did a transition right before the jumps it would divide Lubov's attention so she wouldn't freeze on the jump and they did enter their jumps that year with hands behind their back and were more successful that yr. with jumps. Richard has been giving his teams more transitions this year which he has to to stay with the competition and I am sure he could put a new entry into the jumps to help the situation along with the new jump coach might solve the problem...As well Lubov's performing for 8 months wit the Cirque could make her more comfortable with performing. My concern is the twist. I hope Richard does not regress both their twists into the usual Cdn one which is not competitive. Lubov has a beautiful Russian twist and Charlie and Julieann had visited Lyndon Jphnson and havd a good twist so between them they should be able to do a great twist and right now internationally they will not go far without one. I will really miss Julianne's skating but do not believe she is finished yet. I hope she takes time to completely heal and then take stock of what she wants before making decisions.
As well I was thrilled Charlie has been working with Sam Chouinard....I hope he is used this yr in some way in their programs.
 

barbarafan

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Did he call Ice Partner Search "the Tinder of the ice?" :lol:
Yes he did and he also said when he fed into it the basics of what he was looking for it said they had no one with those qualities. He also said Lubov brings the Russian attention to details, working very hard, and many repititions.
 
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